Non-refillable bottle



(No Model.)

J. A. GRAHAM.

' NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE. No. 574,680. Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

v Inventor,- J J1 Graizazu, 27 h: Jaw- 18 Wz'in ess es;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. GRAHAM, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 574,680, dated January5, 1897'.

Application filed April 2 9, 1 8 9 6.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inNon-Refillable Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottles of that class more particularlydesignated as non-refillable bottles; and the object of the invention isto provide an article of this class which is absolutely non-refillable,except by the breakage of the same, and to provide means adapted tosecure this result which will be simple in construction, readilyassembled, and inexpensive to manufacture.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a portion of a bottle withthe cork and the means for preventing the detachment of said cork inposition in the neck thereof. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with aportion of the bottle-neck broken off, whereby the cork can be removed;and Fig. 3 is an end View of the device for securing the cork inposition.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

It will be understood that the devices employed for preventing therefilling of the bottle can be used in connection with all kinds,constructions, and shapes of bottles and other analogous articles havinga neck or similar extension and that they comprise means for preventingthe detachment of the cork therefrom, except'when the neck of the bottleis broken, and which will, therefore, be herein termed, for the purposesof this specification, a cork-locking device, (designated generally byA.)

In the preferred form thereof herein shown and described the bottle-neck9 is shown provided with an interior annular recess 10, forming anannular shoulder 11, for the purpose hereinafter set forth, and whichrecess and shoulder may be formed at any desired distance from the mouthof the bottle, corresponding, however, with the length of thecork-locking device hereinafter described.

Any desired construction of cork 12 may be used, preferably formed,however, of some suitable yielding material and preferably Serial No.589,492. (No model.)

having one of its ends beveled, as at 13, although corks without suchbeveled portions may be employed.

The corklocking device A in the form shown comprises a cap 14:,constructed of any suitable material, but preferably of cast-iron, andwhich cap is adapted to rest on the outer end of the bottle-neck and isprovided with a series of extending spring-arms 15, having hook-shapedends 16, the inner opposing faces of said hook-shaped ends beingpreferably beveled, as at 17, whereby they are adapted to be engaged bythe end of the cork in the manner hereinafter set forth. Each of thesespring-arms is herein shown of varyin g thickness longitudinallythereof, whereby greater resiliency is obtained. It will be understoodthat any desired number of these spring clamping-arms 15 may be formedon the cap. In the use of this device, the bottle having been filledwith the desired contents, the cork is inserted in the neck thereof andpushed down slightly below the shoulder 11 of the annular recess 10. Thecork-locking device A is then placed in position in said neck, with thecap 1 1 thereof resting upon the outer end of the neck, and which underface may be of any desired shape to correspond with the edge of saidneck and thereby permit the same to be firmly seated thereon, wherebythe springhooks 16 of the arm 15 will spring into engagement with theannular shoulder 11 of the recess 10, and the removal of the cork willthereby be prevented, except by breaking the neck of the bottle, forwhich purpose, when it is desired to remove the contents, such neck isprovided with an annularv exterior recess or groove 18, preferably atthat part thereof encircling the interior annular recess 10, whereby onbreaking the bottle-neck the device A can be removed and retained, ifdesired, for future use, and the cork can then be quickly and easilywithdrawn in the ordinary way.

When the cork-locking device is in position, the beveled end 13 of thecork engages the inner beveled faces 17 of the hooks 16, and, owing tothe yielding material of such cork, thereby holds said hooks againstdisplacement from the shoulder 11, the pressure of the gases in thebottle also tending more or less to force the cork upward to permit itsbeveled end to engage the inner opposing faces of the hooks, and therebyconstitute a wedge to hold the spring-hooks in engagement with theshoulder 11.

It will be understood that while an annular recess 10 is herein shown asone means of forming the shoulder 11 such shoulder may, however, beformed by an annular rib, especially in those cases where the cork ismade of extremely yielding material, whereby the cork and also thespring-hooks can be forced past such rib and permitted to expand intoposition below the same, and thus prevent the removal of the lockingdevice and the cork. By this construction of cork-locking device it willbe seen that not only is it impossible to remove the cork withoutbreaking the bottle, but it is also impossible to reach or tamper withthe cork in any way, as the cap of the securer, being of relativelygreat thickness and fitting over and completely closing the mouth of thebottle, prevents the insertion of a tool or other device.

Having described in y invention, I clain1- 1. A bottle or analogousarticle having a neck provided with an internal shoulder; a corktherein; and a cork-locking device having a plurality ofinwardlyextending arms having loekin g devices adapted to engage saidshoulder, and having their inner opposing faces engaged by one end ofsaid cork.

2. A bottle or analogous article having a neck provided with an annularrecess on its interior forming a shoulder; a cork therein; a cork-locking device comprising a metal cap having a series of inwardly-extendin gspringarms having hooked ends adapted to engage said shoulder, andhaving their inner opposing faces engaged by one end of said cork.

3. A bottle or analogous article having a neck provided with an annularrecess on its interior forming a shoulder; a cork therein having abeveled end; a cork-locking device com prising a metal cap adapted torest on the outer end of said bottle-neck and to also close the mouththereof, and having a series of inwardly-extending spring-arms havinghookshaped ends adapted to engage said shoulder, said hooked ends havinginteriorly-beveled faces adapted to be engaged by the beveled end ofsaid cork.

4. A bottle or analogous article having a neck provided with an annularrecess 011 its interior forming a shonlder,'and with an exterior recessor groove encircling said interior recess; a cork therein having abeveled end; a cork-locking device comprising a castiron metal capadapted to rest on the outer end of said bottle-neck and to close themouth thereof, and having a series of inwardly-extending spring-armshaving hook-shaped ends adapted to engage said interior shoulder, saidhook-shaped ends having interiorly-bevcled faces adapted to be engagedby the beveled end of said cork.

JOSEPH A. GRAHAM. \Vitnesses: FRED. J. Donn, HEATH SUTHERLAND.

